North Tampa Bar Association Monthly CLE - February 2021

North Tampa Bar Association Monthly CLE 

This Month's Speakers: 

Donald A. Smith, Jr. & Debra J. Davis

will be speaking on the topic of:

Solo & Small Firms:  Trust Accounting...

Never (or Always) Fear a Bar Audit

1 Ethics CLE Credit Pending

Speakers Biographies:

Donald A. Smith, Jr: Don Smith is a partner with the firm of Smith, Tozian, Daniel & Davis, P.A., in Tampa, Florida. He received his law degree from Stetson in 1978. He formerly worked as Assistant Staff Counsel with The Florida Bar and as an Assistant State Attorney. Since 1983, Don has primarily represented attorneys in Bar grievance proceedings and law firm disputes; has represented judges in Judicial Qualifications Commission proceedings; has represented applicants for admission to the Bar; and has been qualified as an expert in matters involving legal ethics and fee disputes. Don is rated AV Preeminent, and is a former chair of the Hillsborough County Family Law Ethics Committee and the Family Law Judicial Liaison Committee. In addition, Don is a present member of the Hillsborough County Bar Association and Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers, and is admitted to the Middle District Court of Florida, County Bar Association and Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers. He has spoken on numerous occasions at legal and ethics seminars throughout the state, including before various sections of the Hillsborough County Bar Association, Tampa Bay Trial Lawyers Association and Stetson University College of Law. Don presently serves on the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of the Boys and Girls Club of Tampa Bay.

Debra J. Davis: Debra J. Davis graduated from the University of Tampa, with honors as a top five accounting graduate and member of Alpha Chi, in 1981. Debbie then studied in 1982 at the Australian Graduate School of Management in Sydney, Australia. In 1996, Debbie earned her Juris Doctorate from the University of Florida College of Law, graduating with honors. Debbie’s work prior to and during her educational accomplishments involved public accounting and she received her Certified Public Accountant license in 1992. From 1997 through 2005, Debbie was Assistant Staff Counsel in the Tampa Office of The Florida Bar’s Lawyer Regulation Department. Before accepting the Bar Counsel position, she was one of five branch staff auditors employed by The Florida Bar to conduct compliance examinations of attorney trust accounts. Debbie has taught Ethics School and Practicing with Professionalism programs for The Florida Bar and lectured on a variety of ethics topics, including trust accounting and advertising at local bar association and law school functions.  Debbie is a member of the American Bar Association, Center for Professional Responsibility, the Hillsborough County Bar Association, and the Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers. Debbie presently serves on The Florida Bar's advisory board for Law Office Management Assistance Service (LOMAS) program. Bay Area Legal Services awarded Debbie the Have a Heart award, recognizing her outstanding pro bono service in March 2003. Debbie became associate with the law firm Smith, Tozian & Hinkle, P.A. in 2005, and became a partner of the firm in 2012.  With the inclusion of Debbie’s partnership to the firm in late 2012 and the celebration of Gwen’s marriage in 2013, the firm became Smith, Tozian, Daniel & Davis, P.A.